Odets' s other works provide for interesting comparisons with Waiting for Lefty and reveal the full range of his talents and concerns. Two works from his time with the Group Theatre, Awake and Sing! (1935) and Paradise Lost (1935), each make political points by relating the story of an American family but they do so in very different ways. Awake and Sing! is a realistic account of the struggles of a working-class Jewish family, akin to the domestic vignettes in Waiting for Lefty. Paradise Lost concerns a declining middle-class family and relies heavily on symbolism, with each family member representing a particular middle-class value.

The Big Knife, written by Odets in 1949, deals with the personal and professional conflicts of a movie actor named Charlie Castles, who ultimately commits suicide. It can be seen as a reflection of the difficulties Odets encountered while...